1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for remotely cleaning a gutter mounted on a building. More specifically, this invention relates to a rotatable gutter system for inverting the gutter to permit debris collected therein to fall therefrom.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Gutters are commonly used on buildings to collect rain water flowing from a sloped roof and to direct the rain water away from the building. Gutters not only prevent soil erosion adjacent to the building but also reduce damage to foundations and basements caused by water seepage into the soil adjacent to the building.
A problem associated with gutters is the tendency to collect leaves and other debris within the gutter. Often the collect leaves and other debris clogs the gutter rendering the gutter ineffective to collect rain water. After the gutter is clogged, the rain water will overflow down the side of the building thereby defeating the original purpose of the gutter. Furthermore, the rain water flowing down the side of the building may cause rot and mildew damage. Moreover, such debris accumulated in the gutter can be unsanitary.
Another problem occurs when freezing weather causes ice and snow to accumulate in the gutter, thereby preventing water from draining through the gutter. Improper drainage of a gutter can result in leakage through the roof to the interior, gradually rotting of roofing material and inner structure. Furthermore, the weight of ice may weaken the gutter causing the gutter to become deformed or detached from the building.
Accordingly, gutters must be cleaned periodically. Gutter cleaning is usually accomplished by using a ladder or climbing on the roof to reach the gutter. The gutter is then cleaned by hand or with a high pressure hose or a combination thereof. Both methods are time consuming and involve dangers such as falling from roof or ladder, or cuts resulting from sharp metallic parts or exposed fasteners during hand cleaning. Because of these problems, the prior art has attempted to develop a safer, quicker and more convenient methods for cleaning gutters.
The prior art discloses a number of proposed solutions to the problem of gutter cleaning. More specifically, a variety of devices have been disclosed for cleaning gutters by remotely rotating the gutter or a portion thereof thus discharging the debris collected therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,151 to Ward (1977) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,008 to Ward (1978) disclosed devices for manipulating a gutter to facilitate the dumping of debris from the gutter. Mounting structure supported the gutter for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the gutter with the longitudinal axis being located within the gutter between an upper edge and a bottom whereby the radius of rotary motion of the gutter is less than the depth of the gutter. A crank assembly was connected to a drive apparatus to transmit power to the drive apparatus for rotating the gutter over a reciprocatory rotational excursion. In addition, structure was disclosed for providing for fluid communication between two gutters rotatable relative to one another without inhibiting the relative rotatability therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,635 to Nelson, (1978) disclosed means for cleaning gutters about the caves of a house including support means which, when rotated, inverted the gutter so that any leaves or other debris would be discharged. The apparatus included remotely operated means to cause discharge of debris from the gutter by rotation of the support means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,108 to Kerester (1983) related to a rotatable gutter system including a longitudinally elongated gutter having a plurality of supports and a pulley and cable drive mechanism. The support were attached to the facial board of a building with each support including a support bracket for attachment to the gutter. The gutter could be rotated into a substantially inverted position for emptying debris therefrom by a cable actuated pulley affixed to one end of the gutter. A specially designed downspout having a gutter receiving aperture permitted unhampered rotation of the gutter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,406 to Densmore (1989) disclosed a self-cleaning gutter system formed from two, horizontal, gutter halves interlocked along a gutter bottom. The back gutter half, immediately adjacent to the house or building was fixedly attached thereto. The front half of the gutter was journaled to the rod and connected through a gearing system to ground level geared handle. The operation of the handle will cause the front half of the gutter to open 180 degrees, thereby dumping debris, ice and snow to the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,987 to Fender (1989) related to a gutter apparatus for directing rain water to a downspout that was particularly adapted to be inverted to permit debris collected in the gutter to fall therefrom. The gutter apparatus includes a rod that defines a rotational axis which was supported by a plurality of fixed supporting brackets to extend along a lower edge of the roof at a spaced distance therefrom. A plurality of supports fixed to the rod mounted the gutter trough to the rod so that gutter trough could be rotated from an upright operational position to an inverted dumping position. The gutter was rotated by a rotatable drive means which was operated by a person positioned safely on the ground.
These prior art disclosures greatly enhanced the art of gutter cleaning by disclosing devices which allow cleaning to be safer, easier and faster than previous hand cleaning methods. These prior art devices were safer because these devices allowed remote cleaning by a person on the ground, thereby avoiding the dangers associated with hand cleaning such as climbing ladders or onto roofs. Operating from the ground resulted in an easier and faster operation by avoiding the set-up time associated with the hand-cleaning method. The gutter was merely rotated to the dumping position, washed with a hose, and again rotated back into the operative position, all from the ground level. The ease of operation promoted regular and frequent cleaning allowing the gutter to operate more efficiently, and prevented unsanitary conditions resulting from decay of collected debris. Moreover, use of these devices reduced damage to the gutter caused by an overloaded condition as well as minimized wear and tear to the building, such as roof leaks or damage to roof surfaces due to exposure to foot traffic.
However, the devices disclosed in the prior art suffered from various shortcomings. One problem was the utilization of relatively complicated drive mechanisms such as gearboxes, pulleys and cranks. These drive mechanisms were necessary to provide the mechanical advantage necessary to rotate the gutter when the gutter was under a heavily loaded condition. Such drive mechanisms were more expensive to manufacture, more difficult to install, and required greater maintenance than simpler devices. Some devices had relatively complicated mounting systems to provide support of and pivoting for the gutter, further increasing cost and difficulty of installation.
Some prior art devices required specially designed gutter troughs. Standard gutters could not be incorporated into the systems, thereby limiting utility of the device. Many of the drive mechanisms required multiple actions for complete operation. First, the drive mechanisms were manipulated into a position to discharge the debris from the gutter. Second, the drive mechanisms were manipulated to return the gutter to the operative position.
Other prior art devices did not enhance the structural strength of the gutter, but were merely supported in a manner similar to conventional fixed gutters. These gutters were supported on the building in such a way as to allow the gutters to sag and become distorted under normal use. As a result, these gutters were less effective and less durable.
The prior art rotatable gutters, as well as conventional fixed gutters, could not be easily removed from the building in areas where winter snows collect and build up on roofs. Thus, the gutters had to endure the stress of occasional high loads such as snow and ice. Moreover, inability to remove gutters during the roofing procedure exposed the gutters to damage by workmen, and allowed for the collection of debris from the roofing procedure.
Finally, some of the prior art rotatable gutters were somewhat unsightly, having components such as cranks, pulleys and gearboxes mounted on the external walls of the building. Therefore, a system which overcomes these difficulties with the prior art would be very desirable.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which incorporates a drive mechanism which is simple, yet provides the mechanical advantage necessary to rotate a loaded gutter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which allows for the installation and removal of up to a 20-foot section of gutter by one person.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which is simple to install, requiring no special tools and no special skill or knowledge of construction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which utilizes commercially available gutter shapes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building upon which existing gutters can be easily retrofitted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building upon which enables the gutter to automatically return to the upright position, and maintain the upright position under normal use without the need of mechanical devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which adds rigidity and structural strength to the gutter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which allows for easy removal of the gutter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus to remotely clean a gutter mounted on a building which is visually appealing.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full under standing of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.